Explore

The Place

Esalen is a noun and a verb, a seat of energy, an exhilarating adventure, a wellspring for the mainstream. It is a place of pilgrimage, grounded in a wildly alive environment—the spectacular, unparalleled convergence of mountains and water that is the Big Sur coastline. Esalen also travels the world as an inextinguishable, animating spirit—healing lives and history, sweeping away tired paradigms, and igniting change. There is nothing else like it.

Esalen is not only a retreat center or an educational institute. Anchored by the inspiring beauty of Big Sur and an unparalleled intellectual history, Esalen is a worldwide network of seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities; forge new understandings of self and society; and pioneer new paths for change.

Whether you come to process personal pain or to embark on a modern-day vision quest, we provide the crucible and catalyst, and workshop leaders whose integrity and skills embody the highest standards of practice. We ask that you become attuned to the here and now, and understand that the relationship between self and world is an intensely communicative process that’s continually created and re-created.

We’ll give you the tools and freedom to unleash latent capacities and find a re-energized sense of purpose—for yourself and for the world. Let’s have an adventure.